Fall for Murder

Cozy Baked Mystery #14

by Kathleen Suzette

Ah, fall, the time of year when the air is crisp, the leaves golden, and sweaters and boots are back. Not to mention pumpkin spice everything. I had planned on a fall shopping trip to buy something pretty for the house, but I found a body instead. How does this keep happening to me?

Allie and her husband Alec are enjoying their new house and their new marriage, but the dead body? Not so much. When Allie discovers the body of a local businesswoman, the chief of police is suspicious that she might have had something to do with it. Can she and Alec prove her innocence and catch the real killer?

Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice and murder. Cozy up with the latest installment of a Freshly Baked Murder and see what Allie and the gang are up to now.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction

108 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2021

Reviews

[Sarka B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 14th book in my favourite - A Freshly Baked Cozy Mystery serie and I enjoyed reading it. It is autumn and Allie wants to decorate the big house where she lives with her husband Alec. But a murder occurs. Who is the perpetrator?
The book has nice autumn atmosphere which I appreciate because I also like autumn. And of course Allie bakes and cooks tasty desserts and meals.
I will continue to read this nice serie.

[Janelle King · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This is the best one I’ve read in the series so far. Lol

[Jessica Fay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just not my cup of tea as they say it. It wasn't that the book was horrible. It's just its not my normal read. Which made it extremely hard to get through.

[Sara Gardner · Rating 2 out of 5]

My opinion might have been different if I had read other books in the series, but I honestly struggled to finish this. If it has been longer, I probably wouldn't have.
The author was repetitive: within the first two pages she was repeating things already stated, and did so throughout the book (and not in a literary, in-order-to-emphasize-something way).
The main character felt flat. No matter how many times someone has found a dead body, it would take someone with a personality disorder to brush it off as the character here does.
The resolution felt forced. There lead-up was barely there, but not developed near as good as it could have been. I am willing to acknowledge that this could have been due to page constraints and not lack-of-planning abilities by the author, but there was extra information that could have been cut to make way for a better mystery.

I did appreciate the fall ambience (which is why I picked up the book in the first place), but I also have to wonder: how many pumpkin spice lattes can one person drink in one day before the caffeine becomes too much?

[Kaylee Norris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think the main character really likes pumpkin spice. 🤣

[Mairi Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy mystery in fall background! I loved it. And I liked it so much that I need to read the rest of them asap!

[Kathryn Bossart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should’ve counted how many times they bought a PSL in only 100 pages 😂

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly can't say this was one of the better books in the series, at least for me it wasn't. Allie was seriously annoying. If she mentioned wanting a wreath she saw once, I know she said it a dozen times and sometimes very whiny (unlike her). I normally don't see so much repetition in these books except for another time a few books ago.

Overall, I still love the characters but it seemed a bit over the top even for Allie. Maybe it's because I simply can't get as excited for fall as she was? Who knows, lol. And Sam was extra pesky too asking Allie about ridiculous things she and the dead woman hadn't agreed over from way back when their kids were in school together. Must've been something in the water there in Sandy Harbor, lol. He'd insisted on taking over the case and not hiring Alec this time because he felt it was a conflict. Something's brewing with that guy! Allie hadn't interacted with the dead woman in a long time.

As Allie and Lucy talked to suspects, I was getting a better idea of whodunit. The showdown was crazy, but at least one person involved did the right thing. And yes, as you probably can guess, Allie did get her wreath but at least she asked nicely! ;) On to borrow the next in KU!

[Megan Leprich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick short read. This is one of those books I was reading for vibes not plot so I enjoyed it. I loved all of the autumnal aspects and how obsessed the main character was with fall. The writing wasn't great and got a little repetitive and clunky at times but I could overlook that since it was so short. The murder was all right, the reveal of the killer was pretty dumb but again, vibes not plot. Really pretty cover also.

[Marlisa Jane]

Will rate after book club meeting

[Bridgette Draper · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much about this book that stressed me out.
I don’t care if your husband is a private investigator it’s EXTREMELY sus that Allie called her husband before the police. No wonder she was a suspect.
Then Margie’s son is just giving away her merchandise and doesn’t wanna open the store again.
They purchase enough pumpkin spice lattes to feed an army.
It was cute and I didn’t know who killed her but this was a wild ride.

[Valorie Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!!

I love this series!!!!!
It started with Allie wanting to start decorating the house for the fall and some for Halloween, she knew about a Home Store had just opened not too long ago and she needed to do her shopping at this store, even if it's owned by the woman she doesn't care for Margie Dinsmore. She has a not so great history with this woman, when their kids went to school at the same time and same grade, but there was some cheating Allie's daughter Jennifer out winning a spelling bee. 10 years ago.
Now, as Allie goes to the store she notices the lights are out and it should be open, well she is accused of the crime and now Allie, Lucy and Alec have to find out who? Why?
This woman was not well liked by everyone in town. There are a lot of suspects they have to sort through.
You won't be disappointed but shocked!!!!

[Angelena Ornelas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wished I liked this one more and I had such high hopes for it however I felt like it was a little bit too cheesy. The fall vibes were way to forced that it became a little unbareable. I mean the girl found a dead body and she can go on about is her PSL. It seemed everyone was just way to focused on the PSL and trust me I love pumpkin lattes as much as the next person but that is too far. I just feel we could have definitely got into the fall vibes and made a cozy read without making it seem superficial and lowkey unbareable.

[Kailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is quite literally one of the worst and dumbest books I’ve ever read. The dialogue was unrealistic, the murder mystery was dumb, and why did we spend so much time hung up on the wreath? Plus it gave small town written by someone who’s never lived in one. I truly felt like I was reading a satirical mystery novel but I don’t think that’s what this was. Just plain bad, not worth the read.

[Rachael A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate that I didn’t love this book. I wanted something that was a cozy easy read. It’s definitely an easy read, but it was so terrible I had to force myself to finish reading it. I don’t know that I’ve ever disliked a book this much. There is no depth, the conversations are ridiculous, and the main character seems like she has a personality disorder.

[Lauren Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had a quarter for every time fall, PSL, or that silly wreath was mentioned… I’d be a millionaire.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Killed Margie ? . . .

Allie adores the Fall season and is eager to shop for items to decorate her home. But when she gets to Margie’s Home Store, the door is open but the lights are out. She goes inside and makes her way to the back room when she still doesn’t see Margie. That’s where she finally spots her on the floor with a bloody head wound – and she is obviously dead.

Allie calls her husband, Alec, who is out jogging. He calls the police department to take care of the body. So who killed Margie Dinsmore? She wasn’t well liked, so the suspect list could include anyone. Unfortunately, Chief of Police Sam Bailey puts Allie’s name in the top suspect slot. Can Allie, Alec, and Lucy Gray unofficially investigate the murder and find the killer to clear Allie’s name?

I love these mysteries! The plot is well-written and holds the reader’s attention as they search for clues. The characters are likable and the story line that flows well to keep you entertained as you try to figure out what happened. You will find this to be an enjoyable cozy mystery with the right balance of suspense and intrigue to keep you busy guessing!

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the most wonderful time of the year in Sandy Harbor. Fall is in the air along with pumpkin spice lattes and the smell of cinnamon. Allie is excited about decorating the new house for the season and decides to go to Margie's Home Store. When she gets there the door is unlocked but the store lights are not on. She calls out for Margie and then finds her in the backroom. She calls Alec who then calls the police department to deal with the body. Turns out Margie Dinsmore was killed, but who did it. She was not a pleasant person and was not liked by many people in town it could be almost anyone. Chief of Police Sam Bailey has Allie in his sights as a prime suspect. She, Alec and Lucy unofficially investigate the murder and find the killer.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite edition of this series so far as the details transports the reader right into the scene that I could almost taste those pumpkin spice lattes and autumn treats right along with Allie. It was the icing on the cake to this autumn cozy that finds her in the hot seat again with Officer Sam who is trying to hang this murder on poor Allie. But with no shortage of suspects, she is determined to identify the real murderer and get that wreath she had an eye on since Day 1.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kandi A. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sassy Fall Cozy

For the most part I enjoyed this story set in the fall with lots of pumpkin spice lattes and other pumpkin treats. The main character, Allie, is a saucy, sassy determined, and out spoken one. The story flowed pretty well, and the culprit was pretty easy to identify. What I did not really like was the rather strange questions that Allie kept asking the potential murderers. It was a bit "out there" and would not be something a real person would ask. This aspect tended to detract from the story for me. Thus that is why 4 stars vs. 5.

[Alexis Amezquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like short books then this will be the perfect fall spooky book. I thought this was such a cute young adult book and even though it’s short, it has be hooked.
Allie is beyond excited to start decorating for fall, she stopped at this home store to get new things. While she’s waiting she noticed the store hasn’t opened and when she got off to see if the door was opened, it was unlocked but no one in the store ? What happened to the owner and then she saw her. Laying on the floor, hit to the head and dead. Now they have to find out who did it or else Allie is the one going to jail.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story captures the fall aesthetics and the characters and story are believable. My only complaint is the amount of repetition. I feel it could have used one more round of editing. And why do people keep giving the main character dirty looks? I may have to read more to find out. This is the first story I’ve read in this series.
Overall this is a nice, quick read for fall time that I read in a single afternoon.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall Fanatics

This is probably my favorite book of this series. It is a lighthearted, entertaining read. Fall fanatics will get a huge laugh out of this cozy mystery. Once again, the main character is a suspect in a murder. She sips her pumpkin lattes all the way to the killer.

[Tori Loren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very quick read, super hallmarky, the main character needs to go to the doctor and get her glucose checked. Super weird how no one seemed to care that there was a murder. This woman literally drank her coffee and laughed with her husband seconds after finding a dead body. The whole book was very odd.

[Leanza Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this book 5 stars because it was really such a great cozy mystery, but the way the author abruptly ended the last page and hopped from one topic to another without finishing the first thought had me stopped in my tracks, and a little confused and annoyed. It was almost like she just wanted to end the book but didn't want to finish her last thoughts.

[Anna Lopez · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so badly written, there were a lot of repetitive sentences and the reveal was unrealistic, why would she put herself in a position to get killed that way?

Also don’t get me started on the constant PSL, i understand its a fall book but the PSL seemed to be the most interesting thing about this book.

[Shandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novella of the Day in the Bookish Babe October 2025 reading challenge! This one is 14 in the Freshly Baked cozy mystery series, but I read it with no prior knowledge of any other books and had no problems. The characters feel like old, familiar friends. It reminded me of watching Hallmark Mysteries with my grandfather. I enjoyed it quite a bit though it was predictable.

[Tresha Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick read with fall vibes.

Lots of pumpkin spice lattes and pastries and a wreath was one of the main characters. Not much of a twist, very predictable. Yet how many twist can fit in a novella. Wasn’t a waste of time, but probably won’t add it to my physical fall book collection.

[Kimberly Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a really quick and easy fun fall read that isn’t a rom com style this was a really good one! It was not really a thriller but kinda a small town cozy mystery? Idk it felt like if it were on tv it would be a cute little movie (about murder?) and while I wasn’t like jaw on the floor shocked about the outcome it was a solid 4 ⭐️ read in my opinion!

[christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall for Muder

This was a great fall murder mystery. I loved the characters and their sleuthing way. I liked the hometown feel and the cozy vibes. There are likeable and unlike able characters that gives you insight into the characters. I ended this book very much and recommended it. Enjoy